Supporting My Online Student
Online learning is no different than other types of schooling: parent and family support are vital to student academic success. Encouragement, communication, and regular check-ins help students stay focused, motivated, and accountable.
Cobb Virtual Academy invites parents and guardians to take an active role in the online learning experience while helping students build independence and responsibility.
How Families Can Help
Small, consistent actions at home can make a big difference in an online course.
Check Progress Regularly
Monitor grades, missing work, feedback, and course progress throughout the week.
Create a Routine
Help your student set a regular schedule for logging in, completing lessons, and submitting assignments.
Encourage Communication
Remind your student to contact the teacher when they have questions or need support.
Support Independence
Online courses require students to manage time, meet deadlines, and take ownership of their learning.
The Parent and Guardian Role
Parents should assist students by encouraging active participation in the course, helping them complete assignments in a timely manner, and monitoring progress.
Parent(s) should consult with the student’s guidance counselor to determine if an online course is a good alternative to traditional learning. While CVA courses are designed for student independence, family involvement can help students stay organized, ask for help when needed, and remain accountable throughout the course.
Weekly Family Check-In
Parents and guardians can support students by helping them review the week ahead, identify busy days, and protect time for coursework. A quick weekly check-in can help students stay organized before assignments begin to pile up. Use this quick checklist to guide a weekly conversation with your online student.
Have you logged into your course this week?
What assignments are due soon?
Do you have any missing or incomplete work?
Have you checked teacher feedback?
Do you need to message your teacher for help?
Are you on pace to finish the course successfully?
What Families Ask Most
Open a question below to read a full answer and explore additional guidance.
+How much time should my student be spending on the class each week?
Managing Time in Online Learning
One of the biggest adjustments in an online class is helping students manage their time. In a traditional school day, bells, teachers, and class periods create a built-in schedule. In an online class, students have more flexibility, but they also need to build and follow their own routine so they can stay on track.
Successful online students do not just “find time” to do schoolwork. They make a plan, follow a routine, and stay aware of deadlines. Students should expect to engage 10–12 hours per week on a full-year (Y) course, or 5–6 hours per week on a half-unit (A or B) course during Fall and Spring terms. During the shortened Summer term, students should expect to engage 40 hours per week for a full-year (Y) course and 20 hours per week for a half-unit course (A and B).
Class Schedule
At the start of each week, students should review course announcements and check the Class Schedule for upcoming assignments. This helps them understand what is due and create a realistic plan for completing their work. The Class Schedule should be the first place students look when planning their week. Students are expected to follow all posted due dates and submit work on or before each deadline. The Class Schedule is the official source for assignment due dates, including the Mid-Term Cutoff Date and the final submission deadline. Work will not be accepted after the Mid-Term Cutoff Date or the Final Submission Deadline.
Online learning offers flexibility, but students still need a consistent plan for completing their work. A CVA course should not be something students fit in only when they have extra time. To be successful, students need to treat the course as a priority and set aside regular time for lessons, assignments, and studying.
Build a Weekly Routine
Online learning works best when students have a clear plan for when schoolwork will happen. Students are expected to create and follow a consistent weekly routine, while also planning ahead when school events, extracurricular activities, work schedules, or personal responsibilities may affect their ability to complete coursework on time.
+How often should I check my student’s progress?
How Can Families Monitor Progress?
Parents and guardians are encouraged to check student progress regularly. A quick weekly check-in can help families identify missing work, review grades, and encourage students to stay on pace. Small check-ins can prevent bigger problems later. A few minutes each week can help students stay on pace, build independence, and know when to ask for support.
Families can help by setting aside a few minutes each week to review course progress together. During the check-in, look for missing assignments, upcoming due dates, recent grades, and teacher feedback. This helps students know what needs attention before they fall too far behind. The goal is not to complete the work for the student, but to help the student stay organized, ask questions, and follow through on next steps.
+What kind of tech does my student need?
Technology Access
Students need daily access to a reliable computer with internet. A laptop or desktop computer is strongly recommended. Phones, tablets, and some lightweight devices may not work well for all CVA course activities and should not be the student’s main device. Full-time FTE students also need to be able to complete coursework from home if they do not finish during the school day.
Technology Skills
Students use Microsoft 365 for many CVA assignments. These tools allow students to write papers, create presentations, organize information, complete projects, and prepare files that can be uploaded into CTLS.
Students should use their Cobb student login to access Microsoft 365. If Microsoft 365 needs to be installed on a personal computer, families should follow the district installation directions provided by the school or CVA.
+Who should my student contact for help?
CTLS Parent
CTLS Parent is the primary form of communication with both students and families. Students are required to check their CCSD student email and CTLS Parent messages daily and respond promptly. All communication should be clear and respectful and should include the student’s name and course. Students with questions or concerns are expected to contact their teacher proactively.
Families can help by encouraging students to ask for help early. If your student is confused, stuck, or falling behind, guide them to contact the teacher or use the CVA Learning Center for support.
When your student has a question, the fastest way to get help is by contacting the right person. Most questions about the class should go to the teacher, while questions about scheduling, graduation progress, or transcripts should go to the school counselor.
Questions About the Class
Encourage your student to contact the teacher first for anything related to the course itself.
Contact the teacher for:
- Assignment directions
- Feedback or grades
- Skills or concepts
- Due dates
- Time management
- Getting caught up
Questions About the Bigger Academic Plan
The school counselor helps with scheduling and long-term academic planning.
Contact the counselor for:
- Course scheduling
- Graduation requirements
- Credit checks and transcripts
- College and career planning
When Your Student Needs Extra Support
The CVA Learning Center can help students who need support getting started, navigating the course, completing assignments, or finding a quiet place to work.
Learning Center options:
- CVA Learning Center — In-person support, no reservation required.
- CVA Virtual Learning Center — Remote support via the CVA Student Support Classroom and CTLS Chat.
If your student needs help beyond a regular teacher question, point them to the CVA Learning Centers. Students do not need to wait until they are far behind to ask for support.
+What should I know about grades and feedback?
Lesson Engagement
Work Through the Full Lesson
Completing a CVA course means more than submitting assignments. Lessons include videos, activities, self-checks, and other interactive content designed to help students build real understanding before completing graded work.
Student Expectation: Students should read directions, watch instructional videos, complete activities, and use self-checks as part of the learning process.
Clicking through lesson content just to reach the next assignment does not meet this expectation. Teachers may review student engagement data as part of the assessment process.
Grades
Parents and guardians will encourage students to actively participate, ask for help when needed, and complete work on time. Parents will monitor student progress and grades through ParentVue and CTLS Parent (Classroom Access Mode), which provides access to course announcements, teacher contact information, the grade center, missing assignments, and submission history.
Students should use My Grades in CTLS to view assignments, scores, missing work, submission status, and teacher feedback. Families should also check StudentVUE, which shows the official grade of record that appears on the report card.
Feedback
Feedback is one of the main ways teachers support students in an online class. Encourage your student to read teacher comments, annotations, audio or video feedback, and notes on assignments. Feedback helps most when students use it to improve their next assignment.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the foundation of all learning. Students are expected to submit their own original work and to cite sources when using external information. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are strictly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. You can read more about the Academic Integrity policy on the CVA website.
In an online class, students are expected to submit their own original work and be honest about their learning. If there is an academic integrity concern, the teacher may review the assignment, ask questions, require the work to be redone, assign a zero, or involve CVA leadership. If this happens, families should treat it as an opportunity for the student to explain their thinking, ask questions, and show what they know.
